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Nouns - 18(851-900)

Maelstrom (n): meyl-struhm
If you describe a situation as a maelstrom, you mean that it is very confused or violent = turmoilShe was a maelstrom of churning emotions

Magnanimity (n): mag-nuh-nim-i-tee
Magnanimity is kindness and generosity towards someone, especially after defeating them or being treated badly by them = generosityShe accepted the criticism with magnanimity

Magnate (n): mag-neyt
A magnate is someone who has earned a lot of money from a particular business or industryThe steel magnate decided to devote more time to city politics

Magnitude (n): mag-ni-tood
If you talk about the magnitude of something, you are talking about its great size, scale, or importance = greatness, extentAn operation of this magnitude is going to be difficult

Mainstay (n): meyn-stey (855)
If you describe something as the mainstay of a particular thing, you mean that it is the most basic part of it = A chief supportEducation is the mainstay of my existence in this city, the rest will naturally follow

Malapropism (n): mal-uh-prop-iz-uhm
= misuues of wordsMalapropism is common among users of English language

Malcontent (n): mal-kuhn-tent
You can describe people as malcontents when you disapprove of the fact that they are dissatisfied with a situation and want it to changeSilence gave the malcontents the chance they wanted

Malediction (n): mal-i-dik-shuhn
a wish that something bad will happen to someone = curseIt is a kind of malediction

Malefactor (n): mal-uh-fak-ter
A malefactor is someone who has done something bad or illegal = wrongdoer or criminalWe must try to bring these malefactors to justice

Malingerer (n): muh-ling-ger (860)
If someone is malingering, they pretend to be ill in order to avoid workingShe was told by her doctor that she was malingering

Mall (n): mawl
A mall is a very large enclosed shopping area = shopping centreLet's meet at the mall and go see a movie

Mammal (n): mam-uhl
Mammals are animals such as humans, dogs, lions, and whales In general, female mammals give birth to babies rather than laying eggs, and feed their young with milkThey are nocturnal and live on leaves, insects, small mammals and birds

Mandate (n): man-deyt
If a government or other elected body has a mandate to carry out a particular policy or task, they have the authority to carry it out as a result of winning an election or vote = order, chargeThe President has asked the government to seek a fresh mandate from the people

Manifesto (n): man-uh-fes-toh
A manifesto is a statement published by a person or group of people, especially a political party, or a government, in which they say what their aims and policies are = declaration, statement of policyThe manifesto for the 1982 Assembly elections has fifteen paragraphs

Marauder (n): muh-rawd (865)
If you describe a group of people or animals as marauders, you mean they are unpleasant and dangerous, because they wander around looking for opportunities to steal or kill = banditYou are nothing but a common marauder, eager to loot all the wealth that you can

Marrow (n): mar-oh
The marrow of something is the most important and basic part of it = cruxWe're getting into the marrow of the film

Marsupial (n): mahr-soo-pee-uhl
A marsupial is an animal such as a kangaroo or an opossum Female marsupials carry their babies in a pouch on their stomach

Martinet (n): mahr-tn-et, mahr-tn-et
If you say that someone is a martinet, you are criticizing them because they are very strict and demand that people obey their rules and orders = very strict disciplinarianHe’s a retired Lieutenant Colonel and a bit of a martinet

Masochist (n): mas-uh-kiz-uhm, maz-
A person who derive pleasure from one’s own pain or humiliationA masochist is however always linked with elements of sadism

Matricide (n): ma-tri-sahyd (870)
murder of a mother by a child

Matrix (n): mey-triks
A matrix is the environment or context in which something such as a society develops and grows = mold or dieEurope is remakingitself within the matrix of the European Union

Mausoleum (n): maw-suh-lee-uhm, -zuh-
A mausoleum is a building which contains the grave of a famous person or the graves of a rich family = tomb, sepultureAm 80ft bronze statue and mausoleum in Vienna High Street would have been more appropriate

Maverick (n): mav-er-ik, mav-rik
If you describe someone as a maverick, you mean that they are unconventional and independent, and do not think or behave in the same way as other people= nonconformistHer independence and maverick behaviour precluded any chance of promotion

Maxim (n): mak-sim
A maxim is a rule for good or sensible behaviour, especially one in the form of a saying = well-known phraseI believe in the maxim ‘a stitch in time saves mine’

Mayhem (n): mey-hem, mey-uhm (875)
You use mayhem to refer to a situation that is not controlled or ordered, when people are behaving in a disorganized, confused, and often violent way = chaosTheir arrival caused mayhem as crowds of refugees rushed towards them

Meditation (n): med-i-tey-shuhn
Meditation is the act of thinking about something very carefully and deeply for a long time = contemplation, reflection, thoughtMany busy executives have begun to practice yoga and meditation

Medley (n): med-lee
In music, a medley is a collection of different tunes or songs that are played one after the other as a single piece of music = mixtureThis new album is a medley of all famous music directors

Melange (n): mey-lahnzh, -lahnj
A melange of things is a mixture of them, especially when this is attractive or exciting = mixtureAt any point of time, you’ll find a melange of artists, writers, thinkers, etc, at the cafe

Melee (n): mey-ley
A melee is a noisy confusing fight between the people in a crowd = fightA policeman was killed and scores of people were injured in the melee

Memento (n): muh-men-toh (880)
A memento is an object which you keep because it reminds you of a person or a special occasion = souvenir, token, reminderI kept the bottle as a memento of my time in Spain

Mendicant (n): men-di-kuhnt
someone who asks people for money in order to live, usually for religious reasonsHigh rates of poverty and unemployment have caused a rise in mendicants

Mentor (n): men-tawr
A person’s mentor is someone who gives them help and advice over a period of time, especially help and advice related to their job = teacherHe was his friend and mentor until his deathMeringue (n): muh-rang
Meringue is a mixture of beaten egg whites and sugar which is baked in the oven

Mesa (n): mey-suh
A mesa is a large hill with a flat top and steep sides; used mainly of hills in the south-western United States = high, flat-topped hill

Metamorphosis (n): met-uh-mawr-fuh-sis (885)
When a metamorphosis occurs, a person or thing develops and changes into something completely different = transformationThe metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is typical of many such changes in animal life

Metaphor(n): met-uh-fawr
If one thing is a metaphor for another, it is intended or regarded as a symbol of it = implied comparisonIn the story, the author has used the term ‘disease’ as a metaphor for the corruption in the societyMetropolis (n): mi-trop-uh-lis
A metropolis is the largest, busiest, and most important city in a country or region = large cityThe city has become a huge, bustling metropolis

Mettle (n): met-l
Someone’s mettle is their ability to do something well in difficult circumstances = courage; spiritIt is a kind of crisis which will test the minister's mettle

Mews (n): myoo
A mews is a street or small area surrounded by houses that were originally built as stablesThe house is in a secluded mews

Miasma (n): mahy-az-muh (890)
You can describe something bad or confused that seems to be in the air all around you as a miasma = swamp gas, odor of decaying matterAfter he lost his job, he seemed to sink into a miasma of poverty and despair

Microcosm (n): mahy-kruh-koz-uhm
A microcosm is a small society, place, or activity which has all the typical features of a much larger one and so seems like a smaller version of it = small worldAll the problems of society can be seen here in microcosm

Mien (n): meen
Someone’s mien is their general appearance and manner, especially the expression on their face, which shows what they are feeling or thinking = demeanor, bearingHis aristocratic mien and smart clothes singles him out in the party

Milieu (n): mil-yoo, meel-; Fr mee-lyœ
Your milieu is the group of people or activities that you live among or are familiar with = environmentThey stayed, safe and happy, within their own social millieu

Millennium (n): mi-len-ee-uhm
A millennium is a period of one thousand years, especially one which begins and ends with a year ending in `000', for example the period from the year 1000 to the year 2000Let there be a new treaty that deals with the realities of a new millennium

Minaret (n): min-uh-ret (895)
A minaret is a tall thin tower which is part of a mosque

Minion (n): min-yuhn
If you refer to someone's minions, you are referring to people who have to do what that person tells them to do, especially unimportant or boring tasks = underlingShe delegated the job to one of her minions

Mirage (n): mi-rahzh
If you describe something as a mirage, you mean that it is not real or true, although it may seem to be = unreal reflection, optical illusionPerhaps we are just chasing a mirage

Misadventure (n): mis-uhd-ven-cher
A misadventure is an unfortunate incident = mischance, ill luckA verdict of death by misadventure was recorded

Misanthrope (n): mis-uhn-throhp, miz-
A misanthrope is a person who does not like other peopleHitler was often called a misanthrope

Misapprehension (n): mis-ap-ri-hen-shuhn (900)
A misapprehension is a wrong idea or impression that you have about something = misunderstandingMen still appear to be labouring under the misapprehension that women want hairy, muscular men